EVOLVE 76 Preview & Predictions

Meet our previewers:

Warren Taylor: Warren Taylor is a utility player at Voices of Wrestling focusing mostly on the world of American independent wrestling. Follow him on Twitter @WarrenETaylor

Case Lowe: Case Lowe is Voices of Wrestling’s college-bound young lion who focuses primarily on Dragon Gate and Chicago-based indie wrestling company AAW. Case is also co-host of VOW’s Dragon Gate podcast, Open the Voice Gate. Follow him on Twitter @_InYourCase

Jaka vs. Peter Kaasa

Warren Taylor: Jaka joined the new look Catch Point along with Chris Dickinson at the last show of 2016. He was heralded hard as a new signee and got the Kenny Johnson mini-doc treatment to boot. So it looks Gabe Sapolsky is going all in to give he and the Dirty Daddy instant street cred with the EVOLVE audience. Peter Kaasa cooled off in EVOLVE after a hot start early last year. He had a good showing in a tag title match in November but still appeared rough around the edges. With both guys having a lot to prove, I see them trying to do their damndest to stand out. How well they gel will determine whether this is a solid undercard bout or a two snowflake special. Jaka is around more than Kaasa so he gets the win. Prediction: Jaka

Case Lowe: Jaka is one of EVOLVE’s new roster additions after their core members were gutted over the course of 2016. I was skeptical about him being signed to the promotion as a permanent member, but his performances at EVOLVE 74 and 75 gave me hope that he’ll find his footing in the wild world of EVOLVE. Similar to Jaka is Peter Kaasa. Both men are rough around the edges, but Kaasa’s last two EVOLVE outings, which were fresh off of his second tour with Dragon Gate, were performances that proved that he belongs in the promotion. I still worry about Kaasa as a singles performer, however. Jaka has the momentum and I think he’s trusted more to deliver in a singles environment at this point. Kaasa needs to put in a strong performance to redeem himself for the Tony Nese clusterfuck from EVOLVE 67. Prediction: Jaka

DUSTIN vs. Jason Kincaid

Warren Taylor: Jason Kincaid has quietly developed into one of the better wrestlers to come off the southern independent scene in a while. Coupled with a unique look and move set, EVOLVE fans will come to love the fighter from New River, West Virginia. Now with that said, the former Chucky T is drifting since he and Drew Galloway lost the tag titles. Having him work with the news guys on the roster is a good spot for him on the card. He would also be a good first feud for Kincaid out of the gate too. Prediction: DUSTIN

Case Lowe: I have the utmost respect for both of these men. They both march to the beat of their own drum. That being said, for as much as I love DUSTIN, there’s no reason for him to go over here. Jason Kincaid is a perfect representation for what EVOLVE should be, and I hope that he gets the jetpack to shoot to the top of the card. I have no doubt that DUSTIN will make Kincaid shine. This could be an incredibly exciting undercard bout. Prediction: Jason Kincaid

Matt Riddle vs. ACH

Warren Taylor: Let’s think about this for a moment, ACH comes into EVOLVE with something to prove in his home state, and then put him across the ring from Matt F’n Riddle. Folks, that is enough for me to clap my hands and chant like Mama Klump from The Nutty Professor. We should all expect to be thoroughly entertained by this match, especially if they stay within the 13-15 minute ballpark. Riddle seems poised for big things in 2017 and tapping out a hot newcomer with the Bromission is a great way to start the campaign. Prediction: Matt Riddle

Case Lowe: There’s no way that this match won’t be great. I can’t wait to see ACH shine in EVOLVE, considering that he’s been chained down by stagnant ROH pushes and endless booking for so many years. He’s dominated AAW since returning, and I have no doubt that he’ll do the same here in EVOLVE. I see this as a 50/50 match, because there’s obviously the chance that ACH steals the show and goes undefeated in his first weekend in EVOLVE, but Matt Riddle doesn’t eat a lot of pins. I hope they put all their chips in with ACH. Pound for pound, he’s one of the most exciting and most talented wrestlers in the world. He deserves a platform to shine. Prediction: ACH

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ethan Page

Warren Taylor: Ethan Page got the better of ZSJ during their last encounter and kicked off the Technical Wizard’s slump angle. For this match to work at a high level Page needs to cut corners and talk massive amounts of trash. In turn, Sabre Jr. must work aggressively with the intent to break Page’s body. If they do that I think this contest will surprise people. Another loss by ZSJ makes sense within the context of the storyline and with his plans for the very next night. Prediction: Ethan Page

Case Lowe: I’ll give Gabe credit – when he gets behind guys, he fully gets behind them. I don’t even dislike Ethan Page, but part of me is in awe that he’s survived on the EVOLVE roster and is now coming into his second match with a talent like Zack Saber Jr. I can’t say I’m excited about this match, but like most Ethan Page matches, there’s potential here. There’s potential for a great match, and there’s potential for a complete and utter disaster. I highly doubt that it will be the former, so God help us they find some middle ground. The cards seem to be stacked against ZSJ, and therefore, I have to give the edge to Ethan Page *shudders* Prediction: Ethan Page

Chris Hero vs. Keith Lee

Warren Taylor: The first half of Chris Hero’s swansong pits him against a fresh arrival with a ton of buzz. I’ve only seen Lee work in tag matches, but the big man impressed me then and I’m sure he will impress me as a singles worker. Right now, Chris Hero is incapable of having a bad match and he will want to make a memory in this one. Lee won’t win, but I see him coming out this looking like a world beater. Prediction: Chris Hero

Case Lowe: I hope this match is so great. I don’t know how it took Keith Lee this long to become a contracted employee, and I especially don’t understand how Ring of Honor didn’t lock this guy up after his debut, but I’m totally thankful that he’s now in EVOLVE and is getting the shot to wrestle Chris Hero before he heads off to NXT. Hero does his best work in matches where he is beating on a smaller, quicker man, and Keith Lee is not that. Even with that in mind, I have no doubt that Hero will crush it. Very, very excited for this one. Prediction: Keith Lee

Warren Taylor: Stokely Hathaway agreed to give Jeff Cobb a shot at his client’s EVOLVE Championship only if he teamed with him for this match. This is the perfect setup to give their title fight the next night some heat. I envision a miscommunication costing Thatcher & Cobb the win with Fred Yehi getting the pin or submission on Cobb to avenge his prior defeat to the former Olympian.Prediction: Catch Point

Case Lowe: For as much as I loathe Timothy Thatcher, I really enjoy his work in tags, which is best showcased in wXw. Yehi and Williams tore it up at EVOLVE 74 against Ricochet & Peter Kaasa, so I’m fully expecting them to deliver here. Hopefully Thatcher can find his stride in EVOLVE, because it’s hard getting excited for anything he’s involved with right now. I do have faith in this one, however.Prediction: Catch Point